


Limited Time Engagement

by Ritornella



Category: The Greatest Showman (2017)
Genre: Is making out with yourself masturbation?, M/M, Phillip sandwich, barlyle - Freeform, sorta threesome
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2018-03-19
Updated: 2018-03-30
Packaged: 2019-04-04 17:04:27
Rating: Explicit
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 2
Words: 2,292
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/14024745
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Ritornella/pseuds/Ritornella
Summary: Phillip was the first to raise his head, gazing with deep devotion into the honey-colored eyes of his lover. Then, as an afterthought, he looked across the room to the door and was startled to see the exact same pair of eyes, several feet away. They stared back at him in silent shock, as if they had just witnessed a murder. Bewilderment swarmed Phillip's hazy poist-coital mind as he looked from one Barnum to the other in rapidly growing confusion and dismay."PT?"





	1. Sonata

It was exactly midnight when Phillip glanced down at his pocketwatch. He hadn't meant to work this late, but there was a pile of contracts to review and sign before PT arrived tomorrow morning. _This_ morning, he corrected himself. His partner had been away on a two-week recruitment excursion along the eastern seaboard and had sent back the paperwork in advance of their arrival to help speed things along. The new acts all sounded quite promising, truth be told. There were some contortionists, an escape artist, and now a seal trainer from Florida. Being located close to the harbor would definitely be an advantage, in so far as boarding the seals was concerned. He would have to contact their fishmonger to increase their weekly order. The lions wouldn't appreciate having their herring snacks usurped by the newcomers. He was just stowing the last of the papers in his satchel when the door to the office opened.  

A rumpled-looking Barnum strode in, looking equal parts sad and distracted, and came to a dead stop in front of Phillip. The hat in Barnum's hand dropped, rolling away across the floorboards and hitting the desk with a soft thud. Barnum was staring too intently at the man behind the desk, however, to give it any notice. Barnum's jaw seemed to be clenched in some sort of silent agony. Phillip shifted uncertainly in his seat, returning Barnum's look with a questioning, concerned one.

"PT? Is something wrong? I wasn't expecting you until the morning."

Speaking seemed to break the spell and Barnum rapidly took the last few steps to Phillip's side, pulling him bodily out of his chair and enveloping him in a crushing embrace.

"It _is_  you. I thought I was seeing a ghost. God, how I've missed you. It's been so long," Barnum murmured, pressing familiar kisses to Phillip's forehead, cheeks and jawline.

While most certainly baffled by this extremely affectionate greeting, Phillip wasn't necessarily alarmed. He had learned early on that being surprised whenever Barnum did something unexpected required too much energy. Besides, it was late and quite possible that his partner had visited a bar earlier in the evening. It would certainly go a long way towards explaining this odd but pleasant display. 

"You don't know how many nights I've gone to sleep with thoughts of holding you again. God, this must be a dream," Barnum whispered in his ear, words tinged with sorrow. Phillip couldn't quite believe what he was hearing. 

"PT, you've been gone two weeks. That's hardly an eternity. But I missed you, too," Phillip said with a fond smile.

There had been flirtation between them before this, of course. Enough to keep a small hope kindled in Phillip's chest, even as their day-to-day interactions remained strictly friendly. Obviously, he had considered the possibility of something more -- who wouldn't, when presented with a man as charismatic and outrageously attractive as his very platonic partner? PT could successfully flirt with a pile of night soil, though, so Phillip had known to take it all with a large grain of salt. 

Tonight, however, felt quite different. The Barnum pressed against him now was devouring Phillip with his eyes, clutching him tight enough to leave marks. The small part of Phillip that was still trying to be sensible was bemused, while the greater part of his mind and heart was too overjoyed by those bold declarations to care. PT wanted him. Had dreamed of him -- in the same way, Phillip's helpful inner voice added, that he had dreamed of PT. Hell yes, he was going along with this.

Barnum had given up on speaking by this point and had instead turned his attention to methodically removing Phillip's clothing, leaving feverish kisses on every inch of skin as it was exposed. He would gravitate back to Phillip's lips every once in a while, as if to anchor himself, before returning to his task. Barnum's mouth, he noted, didn't taste of whiskey.

Phillip's trousers and shirt hit the floor in a crumpled pile. As Phillip started to paw at his partner's clothes, Barnum's right hand reached around and grasped him by the nape, causing him to gasp and arch his neck in surprise. Taking advantage of the exposed line of throat, Barnum nipped and laved his way down from chin to clavicle. His restless lips never stayed in one place, save for a short pause to nuzzle at the juncture of Phillip's jaw and neck. He kissed the strong pulse he found there, punctuating it with a love bite before continuing on. Phillip gave a small whine at this blatant marking and tried to push away. The hand at Phillip's neck started kneading, fingers deftly finding the spot where his tension always seemed to lodge. Any protestations Phillip might have had fled quickly, even as the question of how Barnum could possibly be this knowledgeable of his sensitive spots tried to push through his bliss-fogged brain. Phillip sagged against the other man's solid presence, feeling very amenable to anything that Barnum might desire. 

It did not take Barnum long to make his wishes known. Taking a few more steps forward, Barnum pushed Phillip's back against the wall. He continued to kiss his way down Phillip's chest, hands moving of their own volition to tweak nipples and scratch at the small of the back in a way that made Phillip squirm and shiver. Barnum paused at the tender juncture of hip and leg to leave another mark on the soft, unblemished skin. Not waiting for a reaction, he swiftly moved lower and took Phillip's member into his mouth. The combination of wet heat and a talented tongue brought Phillip to full hardness in a matter of seconds. When Phillip shyly nudged further in, he was rewarded with a fluttering suction that left him seeing stars. He felt fingers tugging lightly on his balls, reaching behind in gentle exploration, and angled his legs wider in open invitation. The fingers drew away, then returned slick with spit, circling his entrance experimentally. Barnum's tongue took a long hard swipe up his entire length, ending with a teasing flourish at the tip, and in that moment of distraction, he felt the pressure of a finger pushing into him. Phillip forced himself to relax as the finger moved further in, then out, repeatedly stretching him in a way that felt new yet natural. Barnum seemed to have an uncanny ability to anticipate Phillip's responses before he even had them. Another finger joined the first, moving in practiced circles to loosen the sensitive muscles before curling up to brush a nerve that caused Phillip's senses to briefly short circuit. Phillip whined and bucked into Barnum's mouth, desperately wanting more. 

Ignoring Phillip's needy pleas, Barnum disengaged himself, offering a quick peck on the lips before backing away to survey the room. His eyes alighted upon Phillip's small grooming kit, located next to the wash basin, and he quickly rummaged through it until he found what he needed. Barnum shrugged off his suspenders and loosened his trousers, pausing to pour a generous amount of macassar oil onto his hand. Phillip watched him reaching down to slick himself and quivered with anticipation. Stalking back over with his shirt still on, impatience having seemingly gotten the better of him as well, Barnum brought them together in another heated kiss before pulling Phillip's legs up around his waist in a startling display of strength. Shifting a little so that Phillip could get some leverage against the wall, Barnum breached him fully in one smooth, proficient thrust. 

Wincing, Phillip realized that although he had wanted this for longer than he could remember, he had never seriously considered the logistics of it all until this very moment. This was PT, though, the man who owned his heart, and to finally have him this intimately made Phillip feel ready to burst with rapture. It ached, but he took deep breaths and concentrated on the pleasure flickering through him as Barnum started to move. Absentmindedly weaving the fingers of his left hand into Barnum's, he matched the rhythm and pushed back with every thrust. Phillip's head lolled back against the wall as Barnum continued to pound into him with the desperation of a man starved within an inch of death. He thought he heard the door creak but couldn't trust his senses because they were all on fire and his eyes were squeezed shut to block out any further input. He was close to coming, so close. Phillip's moans spilled freely now, along with a nonsensical chant comprised mostly of _so good_ , _please_ , _love you_ , _more_ , and, finally,  _Phin_! He came, shuddering and pressing his face into Barnum's shoulder as the other man covered him, giving several more quick thrusts before spending himself inside Phillip. They slumped slowly to the floor, panting and rubbing foreheads, close enough to share each other's air, unwilling to let go. 

Phillip was the first to raise his head, gazing with deep devotion into the honey-colored eyes of his lover. Then, as an afterthought, he looked across the room to the door and was startled to see the exact same pair of eyes, several feet away. They stared back at him in silent shock, as if they had just witnessed a murder. Bewilderment swarmed Phillip's hazy poist-coital mind as he looked from one Barnum to the other in rapidly growing confusion and dismay.

"PT?"


	2. Adagio

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> "So the first thing you do when you visit is to walk in and help yourself to another man's pantry?"
> 
> "To be fair, we are the same person. And the table was already laid out for guests, if you know what I mean."
> 
> "Pardon the interruption," Phillip said, "but did I just get compared to a smorgasbord?"

The noises had put PT on alert immediately. Before he had even opened the door, he had heard them. Moans -- positively indecent, staggered, breathy moans -- coming from the room beyond. He cautiously stepped in, trying to make out shapes in the dimly lit office. As his eyes adjusted, he saw a writhing form opposite him. He realized it was the bulk of another man, still partly dressed, in the the middle of the act. The smaller partner was pressed against the wall, shapely calves wrapped around the other's hips, hands grasping at the tall man's curly hair and broad shoulders. A head came into view as the couple broke apart from another long kiss. The bottom dropped out of PT's stomach. _Phillip_. The intruder was fucking his Phillip. He couldn't bring himself to say anything or stop staring as he watched the one he harbored feelings for be ravished by another. Then, he heard Phillip shout _his_ name upon completion and his mouth dropped open as well. 

"PT?"

After the initial shock, Phillip had scrambled away from the other's arms with a startled yelp. He stumbled into the corner of the office, grabbing at his clothes along the way in a frantic bid to cover himself. 

"Huh. Well, I should have guessed this might happen." The other Barnum turned to regard PT with only mild surprise as he got to his feet, also reaching for his trousers. "I beg your pardon -- I might have been a little impulsive." 

"Pardon?" seethed PT. "That's the first thing you say after trespassing and violating my property?"

"What property are you talking about, exactly? The office, or..." Barnum raised an eyebrow and inclined his head towards the third man in the room. 

"This office, of course!" PT sputtered, now trying to avert his eyes as Phillip buttoned up his trousers. 

"As a matter of fact, I had intended to drop by briefly to see how _you_ were doing," Barnum continued casually. "Out of curiosity, mostly."

"So the first thing you do when you visit is to walk in and help yourself to another man's pantry?"

"To be fair, we are the same person. And the table was already laid out for guests, if you know what I mean."

"Pardon the interruption," Phillip said, "but did I just get compared to a smorgasbord?" 

Neither Barnum responded. After a prolonged glowering match between them, something seemed to click in the intruder's mind and he let out a startled huff of laughter. 

"Oh. _Oh._  You haven't told him, have you?"  

"I'm sure I don't know what you mean," PT said, letting his gaze drop.

"Yes you do," Barnum countered, now in a softer tone. "Why did you wait this long? I mean, have you actually _seen_ this boy?"

PT regarded his doppelganger for a moment before finally giving a shrug. "Well, I wasn't sure if he would be interested or willing."

"Well, I think I've ascertained for you that he is definitely willing and very interested."

"Oh, so that was all purely for research purposes."

"It's your own fault! How was I to know that you weren't already fucking your apprentice? Lord knows I was. Within the first night. Seriously, have you seen that ass?"

"He's not my apprentice, he's an equal partner."

"Oh yeah? Good for you, darling." Barnum threw Phillip a wink of approval.

Phillip tilted his head in a self-deprecating nod as he finished buttoning up his shirt. He still didn't look entirely trusting of either Barnum.

"But seriously, you never noticed the puppy eyes he makes at you? I noticed within a minute of walking through that door."

"What do you mean? He'll make puppy eyes at the broad side of a house. How was I supposed to know from that?"

"Do you really not recognize pining when you see it?" Barnum looked incredulous.

"That's just how his face is,  _Phineas_ ," PT said petulantly.

"Don't you Phineas me. You're not my father."

"Hello, I'm still present, you realize," Phillip called out mildly. He seemed to have come to some sort of internal decision. With his clothing back to rights, he now came out from behind his work desk to give them both an even stare.

"I think," Phillip continued with a surprising amount of composure, "you _both_  have a lot of explaining to do."

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> A brief chatty interlude between walls of smut. Sorry for the lapse, things got a little busier this week than expected. More incoming soon. Hope everybody is enjoying the holiday weekend!

**Author's Note:**

> Barlyle, now with 50% more Barnum! 
> 
> I saw the phrases "Two Barnums" and "Phillip sandwich" in Discord the other day and ran with it. There are no further explanations to be offered. 
> 
> For those who asked, I am ritornella on Tumblr as well.


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